This invention is concerned with liquid ring pumps and compressors. These devices are known per se and comprise basically a rotor having a plurality of longitudinally extending, generally radially disposed vanes which define working chambers or buckets. The rotor is disposed within an eccentric casing and a liquid seal, introduced into the casing, is caused, in known arrangements, by centrifugal force produced by the rotor, to form a ring following the casing. Since the casing is eccentric, the liquid of the ring alternatively advances towards and recedes from the rotor axis to produce a pumping action within the buckets.
The casing may either define a single lobe in which case its inner wall is generally circular and is centered on an axis off-set from that about which the rotor turns so that there be one pumping cycle per revolution of the rotor, or the casing may define plural lobes (generally two lobes) in which there are as many pumping cycles per revolution of the rotor as there are lobes. A typical single lobe pump is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,154,240, issued Oct. 27, 1964. A typical multiple lobe pump is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,588,283 issued June 28, 1971.
Pumps and compressors of the above types either have a port member disposed in a central eye of the rotor, the rotor having disc-like end shrouds and the port member having passages terminating in ports with which the open, radially inner ends of the buckets are sequentially brought into register; or, they have a radially disposed port plate, the axial ends of the buckets being open and being brought sequentially into register with inlet and outlet ports in the port plate or the rotor may be shrouded with that shroud adjacent the port plate being provided with openings therethrough to register sequentially with the ports of the port plate, or, they have a combination of these two arrangements with one of the outlet and inlet ports being in a radially disposed port plate and the other being disposed in a central port member.
The present invention is applicable to all of these types of pumps and compressors.
One feature which has been common to all of the above types of pumps and compressors has been the inclusion of a shaft secured to the rotor and connected to a motor to impart drive to the rotor. The present invention seeks to provide an alternate means for providing power to the rotor.